Swashbuckling navy ship returns from Pirates of Caribbean-style tour

The tanker sailed into Portland, Dorset, bringing the curtain down on a whirlwind 12 months.

From coming out of refit on Merseyside to leading the UK’s task force in the Caribbean through the Atlantic hurricane season, RFA Wave Knight has arrived back in England.

The ship delivered aid to the people of St Vincent upon her arrival last June after their lives were turned upside down by a volcanic eruption.

Then, following this, she supported the international relief effort in Haiti in the wake of an earthquake later in the summer.

Crew and her embarked team of disaster relief specialists trained repeatedly with islanders across the region to ensure they could deliver as much help as possible should a severe tropical storm sweep through.

Despite this though, in conjunction with the RN’s permanent presence in the region, patrol ship HMS Medway – was not required to intervene during the storm season.

And when not on standby to respond to disaster, the ship joined the international fight against drug trafficking.

Working with the US Coastguard and its specialist boarding teams, making use of the speed and agility of Knight Rider, the ship scored a drugs bust within 24 hours of her first patrol, seizing more than 200kg cocaine from a ‘go-fast’ – drugs worth over £17m had they reached the UK.

Reverting to her original role of fast fleet tanker, the ship provided black gold frequently to the Dutch frigate HMNLS Holland to sustain her efforts against regional drug traffickers.

Captain Ali Clack, the ship’s Commanding Officer, said the mix of Royal Fleet Auxiliary seafarers, Royal Navy aviators and engineers, British Army Crisis Response Troop and embarked US Coastguard ‘worked as one team’ to ensure RFA Wave Knight remained on task in support of the UK’s overseas territories and partner nations in the Caribbean.

He said: ‘It’s been a busy – and highly successful – year from leaving Cammell Laird’s shipyard in February 2021, generating for the deployment, departing from Scotland in early June fully-trained and stored to respond to the Core Hurricane Season.

‘We exercised humanitarian and disaster relief operations before settling into supporting US Coastguard Counter Drugs Trafficking operations, interdicting and questioning a number of suspicious craft which ultimately led to several large drug hauls.’

The head of the RFA, Commodore David Eagles, visited the tanker today to thank sailors for their efforts on an ‘extraordinarily successful deployment’.

He continued: ‘Wave Knight and her embarked personnel have been a force for good and contributed to stability and resilience throughout the region. I am very proud of all that the ship has achieved.’

A message from the Editor, Mark Waldron

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